Mud is a 2012 American independent Southern Gothic coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Set along the Mississippi River in rural Arkansas, the film follows two teenage boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who encounter a fugitive named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) hiding on a small island. They agree to help him repair a boat, evade bounty hunters, and reunite with his estranged lover, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Sam Shepard and Michael Shannon also star.